Anniversary Baby
by Only1ToniD
Summary: When they brought Brenda back they really drove my girl Carly off the deep end & the way Jason supported her reminded me of how memorable their beginning was & how I'd never seen them celebrate it. So what would happen if they did!
1. Chapter 1: Anniversary at Jakes

**Author's Note:** No infringement intended. Ok, this is my first time ever posting... After reading some really great works, I officially got up the nerve to turn one of my hand written works into a published piece. **PLEASE**, be brutally honest (although I hope brutality won't be necessary). I want to say I like Sam hate Liz, but I would not have started watching GH without SJB & SB's portrayals of Carly and Jason. They are what hooked me so I'm a _DIEHARD_ ENDGAME Jarly supporter. While I'm very open to honest critiques of my story, I am not open to Carly-, Jason-, or Jarly-Bashing. I respect other couples have fans, but this is for Jarly fans primarily. I hope my little world can provide a respite from GH's blatant disregard for a supercouple... Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

"Jax, I just need tonight to myself," she asserts as she stands outside of a seedy bar. Impatience lines her body as she taps her foot in an effort to release the tension. "I know. I know and I'm sorry, but-" She sighs shaking her head in frustration. "I said, I know and I do. Look, I know you leave tomorrow, but why is it a problem for me to take tonight to myself? You'll get to spend the whole night with the kids. You know that with everything that's been going on it's been awhile since you spent some quality time with them."

A smile dawns across her face as she nods in response to whatever is said. "Exactly. Morgan and Josslyn miss you when you're gone. It'll be great for you and the kids to have a night with 'Daddy Jax'. Ok. Uh-huh. You, too. Right, in the morning. I said in the morning, Jax. Uh-huh! Good night, Jax!" She ends the call and releases a sigh of obvious relief as spins around to look up at the sign above the door that reads 'Jake's'.

She tossles her long blonde tresses, adjusts her vintage black Burberry coat and reaches into her pocket. She pulls out a small gold keychain that simply says 'Caroline'. She smiles and her eyes become dreamy as she imagines a brown paper bag with scrawl that says 'I couldn't find Carly'. She shakes herself and looks to the door. Carly slides the key into her pocket, squares her shoulders and enters the bar.

_Fourteen years…_ Carly thought with a smirk, giving the bar a dreamy once-over. _And it's like nothing has changed._ She only pauses a moment to take in the atmosphere before she strides through the bar like she owns it, and whips off her jacket. She doesn't even break her stride on the way to the jukebox as she tosses it on the nearest table. Carly adjusts her tight pink top and short black skirt without a moment's insecurity. All eyes are drawn to her aura of sex appeal & her animal magnetism. The power she exudes is effortless and only magnified by the firm sexy body that doesn't fit the image of a mother of three, one of whom is under the age of 2. Then again, nothing about her should really make sense… What was a 30-something hotel magnate and mother of three doing in a place like Jake's? It wasn't exactly known for being the day-to-day hangout of the types of people who wear vintage Burberry coats.

That isn't what anyone would see when they looked at her now, though. When they looked at her in that moment, it would be all about down & dirty sex… She felt it was fitting because that's exactly how she looked fourteen years ago. Then & now, she had stood out and yet fit in at Jake's. She, who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars as an arbiter of taste for her hotels, loved the cheap décor, the bruised tabletops, the pool tables, and most of all, the jukebox. She put in her quarter and hit a few keys and let her body move to the haunting sounds of Melissa Etheridge.

_Please, baby can't you see my mind's a burning hell_

_I got razors a-rippin' & tearin' & strippin' my heart apart as well._

_Tonight you told me that you ache for somethin' new_

_And some other woman is lookin' like somethin' that might be good for you._

She closes her eyes and goes back in time to a different night when she was a different person and she met her destiny…

_Go on and hold her 'til the screamin' is done_

_Go on believe her as she tells you nothing's wro-ong_

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><p>He still wasn't sure what brought him to Jake's tonight. There were a million things he could be doing at that very moment. He could be dealing with the business, checking on Michael, making sure Brenda stayed protected, figuring out who the Balkan was, or working Spinelli to figure out what he and Carly were up to… Then there was Sam. He hadn't gotten much quality time with her since this whole thing with Brenda had exploded. And speaking of explosions, he was really worried about Carly. He'd gotten a call from Jax asking her whereabouts and she'd slipped her guards again. Although, to give her credi,t she hadn't done that in months. Maybe he should call Carly and tell her to meet him here at Jake's. Could be that if he got to spend some quality time with her, she might back down and tell him what she was up to so he could stop her. As he moved closer to the door, he was drawn back in time by the music. <em>It seems familiar<em>, he thought as he entered the bar and asked for a beer.

_But I'm the only one who'll walk across the fire for you!_

_And I'm the only one who'll drown in my desire for you…_

Suddenly his deja vu intensified and as he took his beer, he turned around to scan the bar. _There she is!_ a voice inside him screamed. How many times since that first night had he looked at her and heard that voice? It was like he was really back there. Like all those years ago, she was wearing some tight pink top and one of those miniscule black skirts that always manage to make his blood boil and his pulse race.

His gaze ate her up as it burned a trail up her long toned legs to her gyrating hips. Just like the first time, all he could imagine was those legs wrapped around his waist as her hips worked him to heaven… He mentally shook himself as she spun around in a circle.

_Her eyes and arms and skin won't make it go away_

_You'll wake up tomorrow and wrestle the sorrow that holds you down today_

_Go on and hold her 'til the screamin' is gone._

_Go on believe her when she tells you nothing wrong._

She spins half way around and their eyes meet across the smoky bar. She doesn't miss a beat as a come-hither grin of mischief spreads across her face. He catches the knowing sparkle in her eyes before she whirls back around her skirts floating up enough to flash a hint of thigh, increasing the sex appeal of her dance. He could almost hear her thoughts as if she were speaking them out loud…

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><p><em>I guess I wasn't the only on in the mood to reminisce.<em> Carly thought with a smile as her heart raced. _Some things never change._ Like so many times before, he was dressed in jeans, a gray tee, and his ever-present leather jacket. This one wasn't the same one he used to wear, but one she'd gotten him for his birthday only a year ago.

She wondered what he was thinking and what he would do next. But all thought melted into amusement as she was tapped on the shoulder. In an instant, she knew who it wasn't and spun to look at yet another Average Joe looking to take a walk on the wild side. The parallels between now and the past weren't lost on her. She caught the attention of a certain smirking blonde as she prepared to let history repeat itself.

"Wanna dance?" the stranger asked.

"Sure," Carly responded noncommittally. _Although not with you_, she added silently, allowing herself to be drawn to the dance floor. Over the man's shoulder, Carly played the game of cat and mouse they'd played so often over the years, never taking her eyes off of Jason's for too long.

_And so it begins_, she thinks. _Again_. Meanwhile, the stranger basks in what he believes to be her undivided attention as he tells her about himself in an effort to entice.

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><p><em>Some things never change<em>, Jason thinks as he fights not to grin over Carly's antics. _How she manages to draw them in & make them feel like the center of her attention while maintaining eye contact with me, I'll never know._ But then again, gaining and maintaining male attention had never been difficult for Carly. And it was not just because she had that dynamite figure… She was like a vat of honey and men were like flies or bees. No matter if she used and abused them, they all wanted more. He should know. Although they hadn't had sex in almost 14 years, he'd never been able to stay away very long. She looked into his eyes. That spark of devilment in her eyes made him itch. He scratched his cheek and decided it might be time for a game of pool.

It was either play a game of pool or spontaneously combust as she tried to drown him in the endless, dark chocolate pools of her eyes. Jason had always loved this song, but now he realized why as she mouthed the words to him. This and another song in particular always reminded him of the ache that only Carly could ignite and only she could satisfy. It had always been dangerous for them to remember the past because with those memories came a flood of long-buried craving. A passion long-denied. The past reminded him of what it had felt like to have her body pressed against his own, open for anything and everything he demanded. No, backing down had never been Carly's strong suit. No matter how hard he tried to forget, his body never quite managed. All these years of memories and she was still the standard. He'd been praised as an incredible lover, but it had been Carly that showed him the depths of desire and the heights of pleasure. It wasn't even because she'd been his first as Jason Morgan.

It was that indefinable thing that drew men in waves. She was the most erotically sensual, deeply passionate, sexiest woman he'd ever been with. Every touch or breath shared was an adventure. She haunted him in a way no woman ever had… not Robin, not Liz, not Courtney, not even Sam. At the thought of Sam, he realized he was going to have to get some semblance of control. He felt as guilty as if he'd betrayed her, even if it had only been in his thoughts. He quickly hopped off of his seat and headed for the pool table careful to avoid the dance floor.

As he watched covertly, her random stranger, now hooked & yearning, tried to talk her into more dancing. Just as expected, she blew him off as if their dance had never happened and headed for the bar & a beer. _I could almost feel sorry for that guy_, Jason thought. _Almost_. He saw Coleman come out of the back and stop in stunned bemusement as he caught a glimpse of a Carly who had long past.

Jason smirked as shock, anticipation, excitement, and arousal flitted across his face. _No shot, Coleman_, he thought with a touch of pity. Jason tried to muffle a chuckle as took her beer and returned her focus to him. She missed the look of wistful disappointment on the other man's face, but he didn't. He knew in his gut what was coming next. By the time, he turned around from re-racking, she was sitting at the bar sipping a beer, her long legs stretching across the chairs. As Jason became mesmerized by the silky skin she'd placed on display, he felt the past creeping up on him.

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><p><em>This wasn't the best idea the first time I did it<em>, Carly thought to herself as she contemplated the most elegant way down from the stools, she was posed on. _Getting on & posing was always the easy part, while getting off was a real problem. I just wish once a certain guy would just sweep me off these seats._ However, she knew that was just wishful thinking on her part. He hadn't it back then and considering Jason's lack of romantic background he wasn't likely to come up with it alone. So, she followed the playbook history had drawn and whipped her legs down of the stools. She pulled out a quarter and as he was lining up his shot, she placed it on the table.

"Is this a private game?" She asked coyly. "Or can anyone join?"

"Only if her name is Carly or Caroline Leigh," Jason answered with a smirk. "What took you so long? I figured you'd have made it over here sooner."

"Hey. You were welcome to come and get me any time."

He responded with laughter and leaned against his pool cue. "True enough, but you did seem to be in the mood to relive a little history. You've certainly dressed for it. What's the occasion?"

"You are, silly." Carly leaned into him to give his cheek a kiss. "Happy anniversary, my boy-on-the-side. Fourteen years ago today, you had the excellent taste to check me out at this very same bar and flirt with me. And that laid the groundwork for the best sex of our lives… and the best friendship. I can't believe you walked into this bar and changed the course of my life."

He smiled. "No more than you did mine. I can't take responsibility for all of it." He reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face.

"True," she acknowledged, "but we do tend to balance each other pretty well, don't we?"

"If you mean that you're crazy and I'm sane," he smirked. "Then I agree."


	2. Chapter 2: Illusions will Fall

Chapter 2

As they flirted, neither saw Robin Scorpio-Drake start to enter. She stopped dead and watched them flirt. She felt as if she had been transported to another time, only now she was seeing how they were firsthand instead through Carly's taunts. It was definitely hard on her equilibrium to watch him smile… It was a smile he hadn't shared with her in a long time. A time when Jason was a softer, gentler man and Carly was _obviously_ a cheap, gold-digging tramp. Although she had never seen them together, she'd seen the fire & the electricity that seemed to bounce between when they carried their lie back in the beginning. She'd never understood why Jason would put up with her. Or how Carly could think she knew him so well. This was a Jason she'd thought was gone forever, if he'd ever really existed for her.

She'd always been so sure of him. Sure she knew him best. It had been easy to blame Carly for making Jason lie about them having sex, but seeing them together… like this. It made her question everything. Jason had never been like this with her. Sure, he'd been sweet and gentle, but there had never been this kind of heat. …Well… that wasn't quite true. That day at the boxcar when she'd been tempted to go farther with him, he'd been so on fire. Like he'd explode if he didn't have her. But there'd been Stone. And she had to stop. He never came to her with that kind of passion after that day. Not to say that making love with Jason hadn't been beautiful and special and incredible because it had. But seeing them together like this, it was like seeing clearly for the first time.

The rose-colored glasses began slipping. Maybe Carly wasn't the cause of Jason's lies. Maybe their whole relationship had been the lie. It had been sweet and wonderful, but she'd seen him be sweet and wonderful with Carly, but he'd never really been this person with her. Jason had never really shared his everything with her or any of his darkness. Those days on the bridge, at the boxcar, on his motorcycle… maybe they were never real. She'd gotten what she wanted from him without ever really wanting to know the rest. He'd only ever given her a glimpse of his other side the two times they'd broken up. She hadn't wanted that part of him to exist so she'd fought it.

As much as she might want to blame Carly, she didn't know Jason Quartermaine or even that the Jason Morgan she did know was a result of brain damage. He had wanted to keep Carly and have her too. Carly was the one who made it clear she would accept no less than everything. He didn't even necessarily understand the right and wrong of that first lie or the cheating. It was Carly who forced his honesty. _SO. He chose me._ But that didn't last.

In that moment, she had an epiphany. She walked to the bar to sit down… staggered by her thoughts. Maybe she really had been idealizing the men in her past. If she'd missed so much about Jason, maybe there was something she'd missed about Stone. Maybe Stone was right about her idealizing the past. Maybe it was true. Stone and Jason were who they were. Human. There was no point in trying to make them into these larger than life figures… figures that others could never live up to… others like Patrick. With one last glance at Jason, she smiled and said goodbye to the past.

A shot of tequila coming down on the bar brought her attention to Coleman standing behind the bar watching her with curiosity in their eyes.

"I was hoping I'd gone unnoticed," she smiled sheepishly up at the bartender.

"Well, if you mean Carly and Jason," he smirked, knowingly, "you have. They are completely oblivious to anyone else. They haven't had eyes for anyone but each other since they walked in here tonight. Carly said something about an anniversary. I figure since rumor has it they met here at Jake's, that's the cause for celebration."

"I guess that would make sense," Robin agrees, watching them. "You know what? I don't get it, Coleman. What do men see in her? I mean, she's attractive, I guess, but… What is it about Carly that just draws men in until they would do anything for her? Defend her… lie for her… Just anything."

"Well, Carly," he pauses to look at the woman in question. "Carly is one of those powerful women. See, there are two types of women that can inspire loyalty in a man. You've got your women who are needy & gentle and make a man feel strong & like he has to protect what is his. They're sweet and very much the good girls, but those are the types that need to be wined & dined & romanced & handled with care."

"That doesn't sound like Carly," Robin says in confusion. _It sounds like me._

"That's 'cause it's not," he replies. "Carly is that other type of woman. She is the complete opposite of that softer woman. She's strong, powerful, and she exudes sex from every pore. She's aggressive and she knows she's hot enough to have any guy she wants. She's the kind of woman that makes guys fantasize about all of the dirty, naughty things she could do to you if she chose you."

"But that's just sex," Robin interjects. "That doesn't explain how she gets their respect or their loyalty."

"I wasn't finished." He tears his gaze from Carly to give Robin a slightly annoyed look for interrupting.

"Sorry, I won't interrupt again." She raises her hand as if in surrender.

"As I was saying, Carly's a different kind of woman." He pauses as if to collect his thoughts. "See, she's a different kind of challenge than a good girl. This kind of bad girl is powerful and addicting because you know there's potential for so much if you can tame her or at least keep her interest long enough. When you've dealing with that kind of woman, she almost never shows her weakness. Not unless she trusts you so that it becomes an honor to have earned that trust. And if that bad girl has a good heart… well, then you get to have all of the passion and fire and spontaneity of the bad girl with the loyalty and love of a good woman. Just look at Carly's track record."

"Yeah, she's the human torch! She burns people's lives to the ground."

"But look at her motives," Coleman asserts, cutting off the usual diatribe. "Behind all of that craziness, she loves deeply and she's loyal. How many cops has she threatened or gone after to protect someone she loves? How many lies has she told in the name of protecting someone she loved even if she ended up looking like the bad guy for it? How many times have the guys in her life betrayed her or left her when she needed them? Yet she holds on. She keeps fighting for them. Tries to protect them. Regardless of what they've done. Well, short of hurting the kids."

"Oh, please. Sonny, Jason, and Jax are WAY too good for Carly," Robin defends.

"I don't know that I'd agree," Coleman hedges. "As a bartender & proprietor of various businesses w/ liquor licenses, I've heard my fair share of dirty details… from both sides of the fence. How many times has Sonny cheated on or humiliated Carly? How many times has Jax skipped out on her for business or whatever else catches his fancy never bothering to call or text or email? From the number of times she's come to Jake's to play pool and drown her sorrows, I got a pretty good idea. He left her alone quite a bit. He wants her, but he vanishes into thin air and pops up whenever he feels like it, always expecting her to be waiting. She gets lied to, but she better not tell lie. I swear there are so many double standards in this town that get applied to Carly."

"Oh, come on," Robin shakes her head, trying not to see Carly's side.

"Hey. You're gonna believe whatever you want, but I told you I hear things. Not that I'm Carly's confidante or anything. We know who holds that title."

"OH!" Both heads spin to watch as Carly does a happy dance around Jason.

"Lucky shot!" Jason asserts with a smirk.

"Not luck, SKILL!" Carly laughs and pokes Jason, still dancing around both oblivious of the onlookers by the door.

"Uh-huh. Do it again, then," he says, smile growing. "I got twenty says you can't."

"Oh-ho-ho! You are ON!" she giggles snatching up the pool cue. "Prepare to lose that twenty, Jase! Watch me!"

"Never gonna happen," he promises with a grin and a shake of his head.

"See, Carly is a pretty hot topic of conversation. Everyone has their two cents," Coleman says from behind Robin's ear as they watch the oblivious couple. "They complain that she's too possessive of Sonny, Jason, and Jax. She had no self-respect to stay with Sonny. She's a slut for sleeping so many different guys. Although, if you think about it, she was in a committed relationship or married to most of them at some point. And if you think about it, she has a better track record than some, including Sonny. But people expect her to bow and scrape to be with Jax, while he treats her as an afterthought. She's no saint, but she ain't the only sinner. I always figured an honest sinner was more fun anyway." They continue to watch as Jason & Carly flirt & laugh their way through their game of pool.

"It's different with Jason, though," Robin asserts. "She came in and wrecked his life with all her lies and drama and chaos. Jason never lied or had secrets before he met her. He kept his first secret with her. He told his first lies to protect her."

"Yeah. It's funny," Coleman picks up a glass and starts cleaning it.

"What?" Robin says in confusion, never taking her eyes of the couple so happy at play in front of her.

"Well, if you look at it, Jason respects and protects Carly as if she were _his_ wife."

Robin whips around to stare at the bartender. "But—"

"Everyone seems very confused about Jason Morgan, the man, the myth, the legend. They either imply he's as infallible as a God or he's stupid. I mean, how many times can you hear about the Legend of Jason Morgan? Although, he does seem to live up to most of it. It's like one second, he can do know wrong, and the next, he is so dumb that he lets Carly manipulate him & use him & wrap him around her little finger. I mean, this guy is a major crime figure, the top Enforcer possibly in the country, and people talk about him like he's naïve. They say he never does ANYTHING he doesn't WANT to do. Then, they complain about him taking care of Carly and her kids as if she forces him to." He shakes his head and glances at Robin before refocusing his attention.

"Everyone says she's crazy possessive of him and doesn't deserve his loyalty. I don't see why not. I've seen her fight by his side against any and everyone. She's protected people she can't stand for him. She got in a bar fight once. Thought she was protecting him. He yelled at her and she took it. I mean, she fought back and stormed out, but here they are thick as thieves. Awhile back, he comes rushing in here looking for Carly. I heard later Sonny was in a bad way and he wanted her to take care of him. She'd only been out of the loony bin a few weeks, a month or so. But she took care of him for Jason. She coulda relapsed because word is, your boy Sonny can get pretty cruel. Heard it ain't pretty."

"Look, Coleman," Robin hedges.

"I'm just gonna tell you what I see. He needs her to go home. She goes. He needs bail; she gives it to him. He needs support, a lie, a witness… She'll be it or she'll get it. He needs to lighten up."

"Stop it, Carly! It won't work!" Jason chuckles as Carly tries everything from tickles to nudges to distract his shot.

"No! No! No!" she laughs as she runs around the table to try and cheat some more by blocking his shot. "Double or nothing!" She laughs as he sinks the shot.

"As you can see, she drags him here for some beer, a game of pool, and a dance or two," he continues. "Before you know it, the man emerges from the myth."

You can see a certain sadness fall over Robin as the last of her illusions begin to fall away.

"The only other woman I've seen to have half that effect on him is Sam or maybe Courtney," Coleman concludes. "I find myself wondering when they'll give up the smoke screens they spend all their time dating and marrying and figure it out. I mean, I'm still holding out hope for just one night with Carly, but even I know they're soulmates."

He walks away as the scales fall from her eyes for the last time. Slowly, she lets herself finally acknowledge that there was more to Carly than she'd ever given her credit for. She couldn't continue to delude herself when it had been laid out so clearly. The evidence was right in front of her in the couple ensconced in their own world. She may never like Carly, but finally she was coming to understand how unfair she'd been. It made Carly a lot more honest in a lot of ways than Robin herself had been. Say what you want for Carly, but she knew how to accept the mistakes of the past and move on. Maybe she wasn't particularly forgiving, but she knew how to move forward. She had already learned something from and about Carly during her own PPD. Maybe it was time she took a lesson in moving on and fighting for what really mattered: LOVE. She slammed back the tequila shot Coleman had left her and whispered, "I gotta go."


	3. Chapter 3: Full Circle

**Author's Note:** This chapter may contain adult language. Please be advise as it may not be suitable for younger audiences. (NC-17) I'll probably re-release this story when I get the... shall we say, romantic? moments right under an M rating. It cause me to be alittle less fluid with my storytelling.

Warning: I'm sorry in advance some of the pages I'm transcibing got destroted so I'll have re-write this story some do that the lost pages still make sense with the original pages... Sorry. Enjoy the story and PLEASE review this... I am open to suggestions now more than ever. :)

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Carly glances at the door almost sure the person she'd seen exiting had been Robin Scorpio.

"What's wrong?" Jason taunts noticing the frown shift from concentration to distraction. He sips his beer. "Did you just remember that you're gonna lose? Again."

Focus regained, she sinks her shot. "Why is it I'm the only one who gets to see this side of you?" She grouses playfully. "Everybody gets stoic, understanding, patient Jason. Me? I get smart-ass, trash-talking Jason. One more shot and we'll see who gets to do all the trash-talking." She lines up, but tenses when Jason wraps himself around her to whisper in her ear.

"Admit it. You love having part of me all to yourself. If I remember correctly, there was a time when you wouldn't settle for less than all of me to yourself." He leans in a little close. "As a matter of fact, I'll sweeten the pot. Since you and I both know you can't make this shot, I will give you what you've wanted since that first night."

"Oh yeah," she answers huskily, her pulse racing. "And what's that smart guy?"

" night only to use however you see fit."

She froze as she heard the words she'd dreamt of hearing since the day they had met. How many times had she fallen into Sonny's arms when really all she wanted was one night of everything Jason had to offer? _Why now?_ She wondered. _Why is he doing this?_

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><p><em>Why am I doing this?<em> He wonders, unable to believe he lost control enough to offer what he'd been wanting since the day they'd met. It was his own fault for believing he could tease and taunt her like she did him. It had been a stupid impulse, but he couldn't, no wouldn't, back down now.

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><p>Her mind raced at the possibilities. Their time together had haunted her. The would-have-beens &amp; the should-have-beens &amp; the could-have-beens. She could still remember every single time he'd ever touched with her that heat in his eyes. But why now? There was so much at stake now. How unfair and like him to do this to her? What was he thinking? He was with Sam and she had just reconciled with Jax. He was probably just teasing somehow missing how much it would mean to her for it all to be real. Never one to back down from a dare, she straightened and turned to face him, all seduction.<p>

"So, let me get this straight. Once I sink this shot and win you, I could make you give me a full body massage or I could drag you upstairs to your old room and fuck you until you begged for more? Or I could make you take me home and make love to me slow and sweet? We never tried it because the need was so urgent," Carly whispered an inch from his mouth. "Remember the time that I bet you I could make your knees buckle? You think I could still manage?"

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><p>He was an idiot. He had started out only intending to tease, but she'd called his bluff and upped the ante. He remembered that bet, it was the first bet he'd ever lost, but he hadn't minded. He wouldn't mind losing another bet as heat suffused his body. He tried to mask his arousal, but he didn't think it was working because the reality was he wanted her to do all that to him, with him, and more.<p>

"What about Jax?" he quipped in effort to save them both.

"What about Sam?" she tossed back, never one to be outdone. His nostrils flared as he could almost smell the arousal coming off her in waves. He knew her body readied itself for him.

He opened his mouth to speak, but he faltered. No other woman was so instantaneously ready for him. It could fry his brain cells. He knew if he slid his hand between her legs and into her panties she would soak his fingers. He thought, _I could bend her over the pool table right now she was so ready._ It made the fight for control that much more tenuous.

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><p>She saw his nostrils flare as he paused. Her body must have betrayed its arousal, which might have embarrassed her with any other man, but she'd never felt like this with any other man. And it had always just felt right when they were together. She could never work up any shame no matter what they experienced together. It had never been this way with Sonny or Jax, only him.<p>

"What do you want to know?" was his gravelly response.

"Could you be unfaithful to Sam? For a bet?" she asked bluntly. "And if we slept together, how much would you tell her?"

"First of all, Carly, I've never considered being with you being unfaithful," he answered. "And I've never shared all of the details of our relationship with anyone, including Sam. Sometimes all she knows is you need me, and she's come to respect that. Now, what about Jax?"

_What about him?_ She thought. "What Jax doesn't know won't hurt him. If he asks me straight out, I won't lie, but I feel no need to offer information. He knows you're my best friend and that I love and trust you more than anyone or anything. It might be the end if he ever found out though."

"You don't seem too worried about it. It doesn't seem to bother you at all," he reasoned in confusion. "I thought you loved Jax."

"I do, Jase. I really do, but everyone has always known if I had to choose," she explains, deciding to be completely honest. "I choose you. I have always chosen you and I always will. With you, I get unconditional love and trust. You stand by me whether it's the good, bad, or the ugly Carly, you have to deal with. The same goes for you with no doubts, no hesitations, and no regrets… You're Michael's father, Morgan & Josslyn's godfather, Morgan's namesake, and my best friend. Nothing worries too much as long as there's you. Haven't you realized you're the love of my life?"

"Carly—"

"Jase, I don't need to hear the reasons why we can never be more," she cuts him off. "I've heard it all before, and I've accepted that you won't change your mind. Why do you think I fight so hard to maintain these relationships? I know you want me to find love and be happy… so I try to make the most of the best substitutes I can find."

She turns away and lines up her shot. More focused than ever. At the last second she adjusts and sinks the eight-ball. She yelps and spins around to give him a victorious grin. She holds out her hand. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a quarter, and places in her hand. She walks to the jukebox, makes her selection, and goes back to take his hands and pull him to the dance floor. The opening bars of Milk by Garbage fill the bar.

"Ok, Jase. You should remember how this works," she quips.

"You just want to dance?" is his shocked reply. He wraps his arms around her and buries his face in her hair.

_I am Milk_

_I am red hot kitchen_

_I am cool_

_Cool as the deep blue ocean._

"No, but I want to start the night with a dance," she whispers into his neck. "Then we'll head up to your old room to visit and reminisce for a while."

"How do you know it isn't occupied?"

"I bought it from Coleman a few years back." She smiled when he jolted in surprise. "I figured it could handy as a place to hide or if someone wanted to take a trip down memory lane." She looks directly in his eyes before resting her head on his shoulder again.

_I am lost_

_So I am cruel_

_But I'd be love and sweetness_

_If I had you_

"Does anyone even know you're here? Are you expected home soon?" he asks.

"No and no," she whispered. "I ducked the guards and told Jax I needed a night to myself. Wasn't sure how to tell him I needed to celebrate my anniversary with another man? Even you. Usually he's only insecure where Sonny's concerned, but sometimes our relationship gets to him, too. How about you? Will Spinelli or Sam be waiting for you?"

_I am weak_

_But I am strong_

_I can use my tears to_

_Bring you home_

"No and no," he mimics. "Sam's out of town on a job. Brenda's visiting Sonny. Spinelli's been avoiding me because he's annoyed that I can't stand Brenda and because you've got him hiding things."

"Oh, Jase. I can't believe she's got poor Spinelli snowed." she gives him a sympathetic smile. "I've always thought of this as our song… I really love it."

"You're usually better at evasion by the way," he chuckles.

"That's not me trying to divert your attention," she whispers into his neck before surreptitiously licking him there.

_I'm waiting_

_I'm waiting for you_

_I'm waiting_

_I'm waiting for you_

"Follow me," she whispers pulling out of his arms, grabbing her coat and walking out of the bar to the stairs. "And let me see if I can't manage to turn your attention elsewhere."

* * *

><p>As soon as he'd followed her out of sight of the bar, his control snaps. He knows he should think this is wrong, but the sense of rightness and the ghosts of the past are stronger than his control. He pushes Carly into the wall and takes her mouth. He lifts her up for better access and she wraps her legs around his waist. He begins carrying her up the stairs to his old room without releasing her mouth. He breaks the kiss only to trail wet kisses down her neck while she searches her coat for the key. Once they unlock the door and close themselves inside, the final reigns of control snap.<p>

The sound of their jackets falling goes unnoticed in the quest for skin. She grips the edge of his shirt as Jason pins her to the door. She pulls his shirt off and begins her quest to taste ever inch of his skin. As tremors pass through his taut body, he drags her mouth back to his, molding her aching breast through the fabric of he shirt and bra. His roughness adds animalistic quality to their mating. Instinctually, they move as one disrobing and tasting skin as it becomes available.

The feel of his rough hands against her skin is like an aphrodisiac. She'd spent years under the manicured hands of powerful men who were powerless to control he arousal the way this man could with a touch. She would find even reaching climax was of disappointing and unsatisfying. As his coarse hands found her breasts, she sent up a prayer of thanksgiving. He forced her arms behind her back and began to brutally play her body like an instrument made for pleasure using hands, teeth, and tongue. She missed this feeling of being taken and manhandled and owned. She felt his every touch as a brand marking her body as belonging to him, and him alone.

When one finger traced her lace covered center, she came undone. Her legs released their strangle hold on his waist and he continued following the path of his finger. She almost came again when he placed a wet licking kiss upon her lace covered core. He dragged her panties down her legs and the temptation to take her just like that surged and abated. Only when she was completely naked did he remove his jeans careful to set a condom on the bed.

He touched and tasted every inch of her still trembling body. A jolt of tenderness shot to his heart at the look of vulnerability, love, and trust in her intent gaze. As if by magic, Carly reached out grasp his aching erection. She wrapped a leg around his hip and guided him home into her drenched warmth. He had a moment to think of the condom and she tightened her core around the head of him and he was lost. As they climbed together, they stared into each other's eyes never losing the connection. When Carly shattered clawing his back, Jason followed. "Mine!" He bellowed.

He used what little energy he had left to get them to the bed. He mumbled into her neck.

"Hm?"

"Sorry," he repeated after clearing his throat.

Carly swallowed roughly and tried to speak. "For what?" was her gravely reply.

"Heavy," Jason mumbled from atop her, half asleep already. "Too heavy."

She smiled and purred in contentment. "Never. Perfect." was her sleepy response. And they fell asleep, utterly entwined and totally at peace for the first time in years.


	4. Chapter 4: Memories & Dreams

**Author's Note:** I'd like to dedicate this chapter to jasoncarly(.com/user/jasoncarly) at YouTube. Without her diligence in posting all of that vintage Carly/Jarly footage, my muse might never come out of hiding… Now this chapter may be a little sentimental, but that's where the muse took me so that's what I wrote… Some of you may need Kleenex and if you do, I'd like to thank you for the complement… ALL FLASHBACKS ARE PROPERTY OF THE WRITERS & TPTB GH AS ARE THE CHARACTERS… I am simply giving them my own spin…

**Chapter 4: Memories & Dreams**

She'd dreamt of this. The delicious weight. The fullness of his erection increasing. The feeling of being sated and yet renewed. It seemed so real. When he shifted in sleep, it jolted her to full awareness. This was real, not a dream, and the night was hers. She used momentum to flip him over and rode him. He woke up to the scents and sounds and sensations of Carly and sex and he began to help her over that bright pinnacle. When she came, he wasn't far behind.

"Thanks for the wake-up call," he smirked arms wrapped around her.

"Oh, believe me," she purred. "It was my pleasure."

"Do you still want to go to the penthouse?"

"After a shower, I do," she yawned. "That ok?"

"If you're willing to take the risk, sure." He caresses her spine and she purrs contentedly.

She pulled away to go shower and as the water started she poked her head back out, "You coming?" His only response was sexy grin as he got out of bed and followed her to the shower.

* * *

><p>An hour later, she walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel combing her hair. "You know we'll have to leave the back way to avoid prying eyes noticing our wet hair." She stretched nonchalantly watching Jason as he came out of the bathroom. "Why didn't we do this sooner?" Carly blurted.<p>

"Because I'm better at pool than you?" he joked.

"Shut up," she chuckled throwing her comb at him. She shook her head deciding to drop it for now. "Where are my clothes? We better go before someone recognizes your SUV."

He pulls Carly into his arms for a quick kiss. "I didn't bring it because for some reason, I was drawn to my motorcycle. That's especially strange since I don't ride it often anymore."

"Well, I guess tonight was just a night for nostalgia," whispers against his lips.

* * *

><p>As they leave Jake's, they're careful to check and see if anyone has noticed them. After seeing no one the recognized, they breathe a sigh of relief that the coast seemed to be clear. Seeing that her coat is more for appearance than protection, he takes off his leather jacket and offers it to Carly along with his helmet.<p>

"You know what this reminds me of?" she asks as he holds his jacket for her. "The night you came and rescued me from Ferncliffe." Carly slides one arm into the waiting sleeve and then slides her other arm in with a spin before flinging herself into Jason's waiting arms.

"I remember," he says with a grin. "How could forget that night? I really thought that you were gonna make steam pour the "good" Dr. Evans ears! Then I took you home to Michael." Jason climbed onto his motorcycle waiting for her to join him.

"Well, tonight, you can take me home to you," She sighed, climbing up be hind him. "Finally."

"Yeah," he breathes. "Finally." As Jason revs his engine and lifts the kickstand, Carly snuggles closer. Feeling her warmth he smiles and he shoots off into the night towards home.

* * *

><p>Within minutes, they were pulling into the parking garage of Harborview Towers and Jason's cell rings. Carly eases back as he answers it. "Yeah." He and Carly dismount. She smiles when he reaches out for her hand and tugs her close.<p>

"Yeah, Spinelli. What's up? She went to Sonny's with her guards. Sonny said something about dinner." When Carly rolls her eyes, he gives her look as if to say 'behave'. "Uh-huh. I'm on my way up. So are you ready to tell me what you and Carly are up to?" They enter the elevator and, He gives Carly a raised eyebrow as she struggles to muffle her giggles. "I think this is the perfect time to discuss it. As a matter of fact, since you don't seem to have any other plans, that's exactly what we're gonna discuss tonight. Nope. Sam's out of town on a job." Carly squeezes his hand. "Yep. That one. Oh, really. Are you going to have to pull an all-nighter? Fine. I'll see what I can get out of Carly. No, we didn't fight. We ran into each other at Jake's. The usual. Drank some beer and beat the pants of her in pool. Watch it! Yeah. Carly's still with me. She had a few to many. No, I'm not drunk, Spinelli. I'm almost there. Are you still home? Because if you are you and Carly can explain to m— oh. Ok See ya later."

She kissed him with a chuckle. And he frowned down at her in confusion. "You have definitely been hanging around me too long because that was brilliant. You handled getting rid of Spinelli masterfully." her laughter bringing a smile to his face. "If I didn't know what I was seeing, I never even would have known what you were doing." He pushes her up against the wall and devours her mouth. He pulls away abruptly as the elevator doors open.

"You better watch it or you're gonna get it," he teases with a smirk.

"Promise?" she quips with a devious grin.

His eyes darken and his passion flairs sending chills through her body. "It'll be my pleasure to finally give you the spanking you so richly deserve." A twinkle enters his eyes when he notices he breath becoming shallow and her sinking slightly as her knees begin to give out. "You'd like that wouldn't you."

"Don't tease me, Jase," she begs.

"Why not? You never had a problem doing it to me," he whispers into her neck. "After 14 years, I'd think a little turnabout would only be fair." He licks the line her neck the bites down gently just below her ear. She whimpers as her knees give out and has to catch her.

"You never let me fall," she pants with a fond smile.

"And I never will." The elevator doors open and he sweeps her into his arms and towards his penthouse.

She rests her head on his shoulder trying to hide the tears that threaten to overwhelm her. _He's finally carrying me over the threshold. I'd given up hope that this day would ever come._

"Stop crying or I won't actually carry you inside." He says not bothering to look at her as juggles his key into the lock. Why she tried to hide anything from the man was beyond her. The man knew her heart and mind like no one else ever had. He knew how to take care of her and make her feel cherished with the smallest gestures. Was a wonder she'd spent almost half her life in love with him?

"I'll behave," she promised, garner a look that said _Uh-huh. Behave like what?_ "Ok. I'll behave until I make you beg me to misbehave." That earned her one of his rare full-bodied laughs. Her heart turned over in her chest.

Once inside, he carried her to the couch and set her on her feet. He started to move in for a kiss then stopped. He frowned as her eyes clouded in hurt. He turned toward the stairs.

"Spinelli! Brenda, you here!" He bellowed. At the sound of silence, he turned back to her with a smile expecting to see any hurt or sadness banished, but was only half right.

A sadness was in her eyes and she tried to turn and hide it from him. A tear escapes and rushes to hide it. "What is it, Carly?"

"Nothing." She sighed, shaking her head and trying to hide her tears as she moved toward the mantel. "I'm fine." He grabs her shoulder and spins her around to face him. He takes her face in his hands, brushing her tears away with his thumbs. He gives her a look.

"It's silly, really," she insists, trying to avoid eye contact as I follow him to the couch. "I used to dream about a moment just like that one. Only it was real and we were married. It was the same with the rings and the pearls. I still have the pearls, but… See, I had hidden the diamonds and the rings you gave me away, when I first convinced myself I was in love with Sonny. I know you don't really get all sentimental about things. I wanted them so when Michael fell in love or I had another child like Morgan or Josslyn, I could pass them on. Unfortunately, they vanished during one of the moves. All those things that meant so much… my fur coat, my jewelry. It about broke my heart when they all disappeared, but I couldn't ask Sonny about them. It would have hurt him that they still meant so much to me. I asked the guards, but they claimed to have no idea what had happened to them." She pulled out the key ring he'd her the Christmas before Michael was born. "I keep the key to the room at Jake's on this. Now this and the pearls stay in my jewelry box with things Sonny, Jax, and Lorenzo had given. Nothing means half so much to me. The past is all I have left of that part of you and I. you were my first in so many ways— What are you doing?" she asks as he stands and walks to the closet. Jason reaches in and removes an unmarked box. Jason hands it to Carly as he retakes a seat.

"A few years back, I got a call from the storage facility that housed my boxes. You know from when I left town. When I first moved back, I had no place to put everything. And when I got the call, I had no idea what all it was or whether there were things that you might want so I went down there & found a box marked The Morgan Family in your handwriting. I opened it. It had pictures and all sorts of things from when we lived together. The fur coat was a wreck so I got rid of it. I took the pictures along with a few other things and brought them back here. Open it."

Carly gazes at him a moment before lifting the lid. She gasps in shock as photos of her and Michael stare back at her. She reaches for a photo, but hesitates when a sparkle catches her eye. "Jase?" she gasps, whipping her head around to look up at him. He smiles and lifts a pair of earrings from the bottom before placing them in her hand. He reaches in again and pulls out a long, slender velvet box. As her eyes fill with tears, he opens the box. She takes a long breath, holding the earrings to her heart as the first tear falls.

"I gave you these the same night I called—no, you called the garbage strike. I remember thinking you were so nervous, but you didn't need to be because you were beautiful." He pulled the diamond necklace out of the box and gestured for her to turn around so he could put it on her. "You kept going on and on about every little thing. Then you asked me about your hair and said something about not having the right jewelry. So I sent Benny out to get you what you needed to feel as beautiful and important to me as you've always been." She turned dropped her hair. She reached up to touch jewels at her neck before adding her earrings.

She closes her eyes a moment as she drifts back to a different time…

"_Do you think I should wear my hair up? Or should I leave it down?" Carly asks Jason, suiting actions to words._

"_Whatever you want," Jason responded nonchalantly, walking over to some papers._

"_Well, it's a formal occasion I should probably wear it up, but I would have to wear some kind of necklace and earrings. I don't really have anything that's appropriate," she explains._

"_Well, you have earrings," he reminds her._

"_Yeah," she says vaguely, obviously contemplating her options. "Ok! Well, I can make something work, but it's gonna take me five more minutes." He walks by her completely focused on the proposal in his hands._

"_Alright. Well, I don't care if we don't get there until they're ready to sign."_

"_I want us to walk in there together and impress people. You know like, we're as good as any of them," she explains. _

"_We are, Carly," he assures her with a smile. _

_She smiles. "Right. Ok. Five minutes. That's it. I promise."_

"_Five minutes," he agrees smiling as she walks away. "Benny." Jason nods him over. "I need you to do something for me before we leave."__1_

_********************************************************************************************************************_

_Carly smiles as she comes down the stairs to make her entrance. Jason is talking to Michael about the event they'll be going to. She poses at the landing and clears her throat. He beams at her as he turns around and sees her. "What do you think?" she asks._

"_You look good," he grins up at her. _

"_So do you," she replies. "Don't you think, Michael? Doesn't your Daddy look handsome?"_

_Jason returns his attention to Michael. "I was just explaining to him about the party."_

"_Yeah, I heard, um. We should get going though." He gives her a look. "We have to wait for Benny."_

_She pouts, "Benny's coming with us?"_

"_No, he had to take care of something for me," he explains setting Michael in his basinet._

"_Well, I hope he hurries. I want to be fashionably late, but I don't want to be too late." She pauses when he gives her a look. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?" They share a laugh._

"_You care a __**lot**__." He smirks._

"_I just—you know, Jason you've done so much for me. I wanna make you proud tonight," she explains._

"_You don't have to do anything for me, Carly, at all. Look-" he's cut off by Johnny opening the door to Benny. His eye light up and his smirk returns. Carly keeps her back to the door thinking it's business, never even noticing the velvet box. "Did you get them?" Jason walks over to Benny focused._

"_I hope these are what you wanted," Benny replies. Jason turns and they both look at her. "Ask Carly."_

_She turns around her expression guarded, yet confuses. "Ask me what?" She looks suspiciously between Benny and the long velvet box. "This looks like a jewelry box." She holds it up._

_Jason smirks. "Open it." Benny snickers._

_Carly's face smiles in confusion as she turns to set the box down. She opens it and shock wipes all other expression from her face. "Oh, Jason…" She lifts the necklace & earrings out. "They're beautiful! Are they real?"_

_Jason smirks and Benny chuckles, "No kidding they're real!"_

"_Benny, thanks." Jason pats Benny on the arm_

"_Sure." Benny leaves with a smile._

_Carly is still staring at the jewels in shock as she takes a few steps forward. "Oh, wow, uh. I've never had anything-"_

_Jason grins at her response. "Try it on!"_

_Carly finally looks up and begins moving toward the mirror. She takes a deep breath. "Ok!"_

_Jason comes up behind her and takes the necklace. "I'll get that."_

_Carly begins unfastening the cheap costume earrings to replace them with the real deal. "Wow! These are so incredible! My god!" She smiles at him in the mirror, and he smiles back. "Look at this! What do you think?"_

_He rests his hands on her shoulders, smiling. "Like I said you look good."__2_

She sighs, returning to the present. "I remember feeling so special. _No one_ had _**ever**_ given me anything like that before. But these—" she whispered, tearily gesturing at the jewelry. "These meant— these _mean_ more to me than anything I've ever been given before or since, and not _just_ because _you_ gave them to me, but because you gave them to me for the right reasons. Because you wanted me to be happy. Because you _wanted_ to give me something. You could have given me a broken copper pocket watch and I'd have loved it because you cared enough to want me to have it. It meant the world to me to feel like I was important to you. With you, it was not that I was important because I was working so hard to be someone for you, but it was always because I was me. Being important or special to you has always meant more than with anyone else. Because I knew that it was me— ugly, crazy Carly that you valued, not some image I created to make you happy." She paused when he reaches over and brushes away her tears. She rests her face in his palm, eyes closed. "I love you," she breathes opening her eyes to look into his. Jason leans and kisses her slowly, lingering over her mouth, as he's wanted to so many times before.

"And I love you, Carly." She caresses his face as she pulls away. She looks down refocusing on the Jason's box. A picture Jason and Michael in front of Michael's favorite tree back when the lived in the cottage. She goes to lift the photo, but hesitates when her finger brushes velvet. She pushes aside the picture and focuses on the jewelry box instead. Her eyes drift closed a moment.

"_In the bathroom drawer upstairs, I found one of my old hair clippies—"Carly said as she came down the stairs adjusting her hair. "Hey Johnny." She smiled at one her favorite guards._

_Jason takes a small gold gift bag from Johnny. "Mrs. Quartermaine."_

"_Car-ly," she corrects._

"_Carly," Johnny repeats with a smile._

"_Thanks, Johnny," Jason acknowledges, closing the door as Johnny leaves. Jason takes the gift bag over to the desk and Carly's smile grows as he reaches inside._

"_Well. What was this secret mission you sent Johnny on anyway?" she asks as she comes closer to peak at what's in the bag as Jason pulls out a long velvet box. She looks from the box to him not understanding._

"_See if they're right," he says, holding out the box._

"_My pearls?" she says in confusion as she opens the jewelry box._

"_No," he replies. "But close enough so the Quartermaines won't notice."_

"_Wow," she gasps as a smile replaces the confusion on her face as she lifts the pearls from the box. "Oh, wow." She looks up at him. "You wanna fasten them for me?"_

_He turns her around as she holds them in place. She revels in the feel of his hands against her skin as he fastens the pearls._

_She turns around with a playful grin, hope shining in her eyes. "I don't suppose you have a couple of diamond rings in there, do you?" She glances at the bag as he reaches into it. _

_He pulls out a small velvet box. "Look for yourself," he whispers huskily. She smiles up at him her heart in her eyes. She reaches up and takes the box. Hesitating for just a second, she opens the ring box and laughs in surprise. Staring back at her is an exact replica of the stolen rings. "My god. I don't know- How did you do this? I can't believe you did that," she breathes staring at the rings unable to keep the smile off her face._

_He takes a deep breath. "I thought it would be easier than you having to make explanations up." He smiles down at her staring at the rings. _

_She takes a deep breath, holds them against her heart, and then hands them back to Jason. "What are you waiting for?" she asks, her voice not quite steady._

"_No, no. You-" he pauses to brush a hair from her face. "You know how to put rings on Carly."_

"_Well, I don't see any harm in it. I know it doesn't mean anything," she rationalizes._

_He grins, knowing it for a lie as it comes out of her mouth. "Then why do you want me to?"_

_She hesitates, unsure of what to say to get what she so desperately wants. She settles for: "Don't make me explain. You really wouldn't understand." She looks away, almost afraid of his response. She even squeezes her eyes shut. "Please, come on, just-"_

_**I know why this matters to you. It matters to me too, **__he thinks, but once again never says. He says instead, "Ok. Ok." He removes the rings and sets aside their box. They share nervous smiles and she puts out her hand. He takes the first ring, the wedding band and slides it onto her finger. Next is the engagement ring. a second before he places it on he finger he looks at her with all of the love in his heart for her there in his eyes before focusing the task at hand. A second later, Carly does the same. In their minds and hearts, they are sharing their happily ever after. However, in reality, no words are spoken. There stare into each other's eyes for a moment gazes locked. Each silently tries to tell the other how much this moment truly means, until Jason remembers who placed identical rings there first. He pushes her hand away and breaks their stare.__3_

She comes back to herself and looks up into his eyes. "Jason," she whispers emotionally. "Is this what I think it is?"

With a grin, he answers, solemnly staring into her eyes, "Look for yourself." Tears fall from her eyes unnoticed as the stare into each other's eyes.

_He remembers._ She breaks his gaze and sets his memory box on the coffee table. She refocuses on the black velvet ring box in her hands. She stares at it working up the nerve to open it, but she shoots up and walks toward the doors, too overwhelmed as all of the long buried emotions, hopes, and fears fly to the surface. She looks in to the mirror by the door hoping she projects a nonchalance she doesn't feel. She adjusts her hair as she stairs at the diamonds adorning her ears and neck. She affects a cheery smile. "What do you think? Too much?" she chirps playfully.

He stares deeply into her eyes, shaking his head. "No." He takes the ring box from her clenched fist and opens it. "Not enough." He takes her hand and removes the rings Jax gave her and set them aside. Their gazes lock as he takes the ring from their resting place and lifts her hand. As if her finger was made of glass, he gently returns his rings to her hand. Once in place, he seals it with a kiss. "Now it's perfect."

Carly laughs tearily, causing Jason to look at her quizzically, "It's just that… every little girl dreams of moments like this. There are thousands of movies dedicated to just those moments. But as a grown woman, you figure that it's unrealistic. No man could ever make something so cheesy, so beautiful outside of a movie…" She sighs. "Only you, Jason, could make something so simple so incredible. And mean it. I've never known a man who, with only a few words, could make the smallest moments the most valuable and important. All of the best moments of my life are with you and our kids. You—" she stops to take his face in her hands and kiss him. "I need you to promise me something right now. Jason. Jase, I need your word that no matter what happens tomorrow or the day after, you won't regret tonight. Just please, Jase, I—"

He silences her with a kiss. "Shh. I promise you, Carly. I could never regret a moment spent with you. How can I when it feels this right? Every regret I have regarding involves letting you go. I have no one to blame for that, but me. Are you sure you won't be second guessing this night in the morning?"

"You're funny! When have I every regretted a second spent with you? I won't start now. I'm never more myself or happy than in your arms. You know me. I can rationalize anything. No one can rationalize like I can, but I don't feel the need to with you. This? Us? We always just make sense together. God, I haven't felt like this since the last time we kissed. Remember that, Jase? We were trapped in that fire, almost sure to die, but I could have died happy in your arms. I wanted to die making love to you, just one more time, but… it wasn't meant to be."

"Because I knew we wouldn't die. We're both too stubborn to take the easy way out and give up. No matter what," he pauses, caressing the rings that encircle her finger. "As long as my family needs me, I never give up on you. Just like you'll never give up on me."

"Jason I want you to know. As long as you are somewhere in this world, I will always find my way back to you. And I will always trust you to come back for me. Just like I would for you. To fight with you or for you, to laugh with you, to shoot pool with you, to drive you crazy. I promise to always love, honor, cherish, respect, and support you, whether I agree with you or not." She chuckles. "Sounds like wedding vows. Although you'll notice, I kinda left out any reference to obeying you. You know I don't like making you promises I can't keep." She grins as he laughs along with her for a moment. Suddenly, he sobers and takes her hands in his.

"I vow the same to you, Carly," he promises. "As long as you are somewhere in this world, I will trust you to help find you and to wait for me. I will find you wherever you are. To fight with you or for you, to laugh with you and at you, to beat you at pool, to get headaches as you drive me crazy. I promise to always love, honor, cherish, respect, and support you, whether you recognize that I'm right and you're wrong or not." He pauses a moment, sharing her laughter. "May I kiss my bride?"

"Yes, you may. Forever," she vows throwing herself into his waiting arms. She pulls away before she melts completely in his arms. She pushes him toward the couch. "Put that away," she says as she tosses Jax's rings into her purse. "I think it's long past time to consummate this union." He puts the box back in its hiding place and then sweeps her into his arms

"I couldn't agree more," he growls carrying her up the stairs to his room.

1 - /p4MYp1JfiVI

2 - /EIBz8rjGQbI

3 - /1nrMgZg1U1w


End file.
